1. Field of the Invention
A training apparatus for assisting a user in developing ball batting skills is provided and may be utilized by either right or left handed batters. More particularly, the apparatus releasable secures to an existing support and includes an arm member having a ball that is attached to the arm by a rotational means that supplies to the user a moving ball to hit.
2. Description of the Background Art
Several related devices have been found in the prior art that comprise ball hitting trainers. However, most of these devices are rather complex structurally and incorporate self supporting elements or do not provide a moving pitch to hit. One such device merely supplies a ball tethered by a freely rotating pivot joint to the end of a horizontal support. The energy imparted to the ball by the hit is dispatched in spinning the ball in a constant radius circle about the pivot joint and no return pitch is delivered.
More particularly, described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,058,277 is a baseball practice machine that includes a motor-driven rotating arm. Connected to the rotating arm is a rubber cord fastened to a ball. Hitting the ball merely extends the cord for a period of time.
A practice tether ball device is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 2,976,040. A flexible cable is affixed to a rotating hub. Upon hitting the ball the ball and cord spin about the hub until the imparted energy is dissipated.
Supplied in U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,700 is a golf practice device having a vertical support and a downwardly angle arm to which a tether and ball are connected. Hitting the golf ball produces a free rotation of the tether and ball about the tether to arm connection point.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,502 is a tethered ball for baseball batting practice. Comprising the device is a stake having an internal spring that is fastened to one end of a tether. A ball is fastened to the other end of the tether.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,652,088 discloses a tethered ball baseball batting practice device. A tethered ball is slidably engaged with an upwardly sloping cable. When the ball is hit it slides up the cable until the imparted energy is spent and then slides back down into an initial position.
A training device including a captive ball to be struck by a game club is specified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,926. A ball is fastened to a spring return mechanism. Upon hitting the ball the ball deflects and is repositioned in the initial location by the spring return mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,494 relates a tethered ball baseball practice having a tethered ball that deflects into a net upon hitting. After the energy of the hit is absorbed in the net, the ball returns to hang in its initial position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,036 reports a batting practice device that holds a ball in a releasable position for hitting. Upon hitting the ball the ball is projected from within the held position and forward. The ball is not tethered to the device.
Related in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,735 is a pitching machine having a tethered ball that is secured to a horizontal arm that is part rigid and part semi-rigid. The arm is attached to a vertical support member. A motion damping mechanism is included.
A sports training device is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,042. A weighted base member extends into an adjustable vertical support. Attached to the top of the vertical support is a horizontal arm that terminates in a tether that is secured to a ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,675 describes a baseball pitching device having a base support and a rotating arm attached to the base. The arm has a tethered ball anchored to one end and a counter weight at the other end. Means are supplied for rotating the arm relative to the base support to produce a moving ball to strike.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,634 is a tethered ball batting practice device comprising a ball secured to a two-part tether having a cord section and a resilient section. The end of the resilient section is mated to a stake that has a backup anchor.
A tethered ball batting practice device is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,450. A ball is tethered to a freely rotating hub. The hub is secured to an arm which is releasably fastened to a vertical support. Hitting the ball produces rotation about the hub until the energy is spent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,781 discloses a tethered ball pitching apparatus including an elastic cord anchored to a ball. The cord is attached to an elevated bracket. The device is positioned between a batter and a pitcher.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,618 communicates a batting practice device having a tethered ball that is attached to a rotating hub. The hub is connected to a bracket that anchors to a fence of other equivalent support. Hitting the ball produces free rotation of the ball and tether about the hub.
Described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,364, issued to the subject inventor Ring, is a portable ball batting practice apparatus that comprises many of the current invention's elements except that no fixed-length tether is utilized to limit the amount of energy stored after hitting the ball in the wrapping of the resilient tether around the elongated member. Although the device related in U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,364 is a very useful practice apparatus, the introduction of the critical fixed-length tether greatly improves usage of the subject device.
Another device patented by the subject inventor, Ring, is related in U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,315. This device is again a portable ball batting practice apparatus that is somewhat related to the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,364, except the newer device introduced a critical fixed-length, but flexible tether, thus producing a two-tether apparatus, that greatly improved usage of the earlier version.